Motorsport Series News for January 19, 2022 – The Radical, the Clio, Racing in India and More

This week I have motorsport series news that spans the globe and covers everything from one make sportscars to Hypercars, Formula 4, the Road to Indy and more. Let’s hit the track!

Sports Cars, Touring Cars & One Makes

• Radical Sportscars have been successful because they produce a good, competitive product and Autosport Plus details how Radical revamped its record-breaking flagship model. If this has piqued your curiosity then you should read Pistonheads’ review of the 2022 Radical SR10.

• Toyota revealed their GR GT3 concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon. According to Toyota: “TGR is committed to further accelerating customer motorsports activities to make the world of motorsports sustainable. Promoting ‘driver first’ car development and with a desire to provide attractive cars that customers participating in GT3, which is the pinnacle of customer motorsports, would choose, TGR has unveiled the GR GT3 Concept.” No further details were announced.

• In addition to the GR GT3 Toyota unveiled the GR86 GT300. This new vehicle is built to the GTA GT300 vehicle specifications, using the cabin from the road-going GR86 (ZN8) chassis, with a lightweight body and advanced aerodynamics – traits which have defined the GT300 regulations’ contrast to the heavier, more powerful FIA GT3 category vehicles. Further details can be found at Daily Sportscar.

• Porsche have begun their long awaited return to high level prototype sportscar racing with news that their new LMDh prototype has made its test debut at Porsche’s Weissach test facility. No times were released but testing will continue over the next week or two at Weissach.

• Peugeot also revealed more images of their rear wing-less Hypercar challenger as they confirmed that they will miss the first race of the WEC season at Sebring. Daily Sportscar has a great rundown on the design of the 9X8 and Motorsport Magazine answers the question of why the Hypercar has no rear wing. They have begun testing in Spain without the conventional rear wing that has been the feature of Le Mans racers for the last 50 years.

• The TCR Europe race series have appointed Kumho as their official tire supplier. The tire manufacturer will provide teams with its dry weather ECSTA S700 and the wet weather ECSTA W701 competition tires. Under the supply arrangement, Kumho will also supply its products to TCR Spain, TCR Eastern Europe and TCR Denmark.

• Much like the popularity of the Mazda MX-5 in America, the Renault Clio is hugely popular in the UK and mainland Europe as a one-make series. Autosport looks at its popularity in the UK with the Clio revamp that will boost a hidden club racing gem.

• Believe it or not the the 2021 Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Australia Pro-Am title remains unawarded due to an ongoing appeal process. A decision is only expected in late January.

• The BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship has announced that build kits and fully built race cars are now available to order for our next-generation Fiesta Junior Championship. Based on the 1.6 Sigma engined Mk7 Fiesta Zetec S, the next-generation car will race alongside the current Mk6 ST150 model within a 2-Class structure. This means that owners of Mk6 ST150 spec cars have the security of still being able to enjoy competing in their existing cars until the next-generation Mk7 Zetec S cars eventually supersede them. More details can be found here.

Single-Seaters

• Despite the recent setback, it looks like Indian motorsport is on an upswing as Perceval Wolff at F1 Feeder Series talks to Aditya Patel about the Formula Regional Indian Championship (FRIC) and Indian F4 and how this will make a difference to motorsport throughout the sub-continent.

• While the two Indian development series prepare to get going, the Formula Regional Asian Championship is looking strong as four F1 juniors are among the 28 drivers confirmed for this weekend’s first round. The opening FRAC round begins this weekend at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi, with a two-day test followed by three races around the grand prix circuit. The championship will feature five rounds, all taking place in the UAE, with three events at the Dubai Autodrome featured between two rounds at Yas Marina to begin and end the season.

• For that brief period time when the Formula Renault Eurocup and the upstart Formula Regional European Championship (FREC) co-existed, I don’t think anybody thought it was a good idea. One or both series would suffer from a dilution of talent and/or car count and that is exactly how it all played out with FREC tending to be on the losing end of the deal. When the two series merged in 2021 there was a collective sigh of relief and car counts confirmed the fact that a merger was the right move. Formula Scout looks at how things worked out in 2021, the first year of the merger in how FRegional’s first year of European unification played out.

• Italian and German F4 are arguably the strongest F4 series in Europe and 2022 should prove to be no exception. So far though, the Italian F4 grid is growing while ADAC F4 is still officially without entries.

• Hugh Chambers of Motorsport UK explains to Formula Scout where Motorsport UK is pushing with its plans for Britain’s junior ladder. A lot of interesting discussion about GB4/GB3, F4 and even F1600 and where they all fit in the UK motorsport scene.

• Over in the United States, Marshall Pruett speaks to Indy Lights Director Levi Jones, about a series that appears to have a new lease of life under the new ownership of Indycar and Roger Penske.

• As the bottom rung of the famed Road to Indy, new series USF Juniors has announced their plans to swap the F4 car in 2023 for a USF2000-based chassis in 2023. Interestingly it can be upgraded to both a USF2000 and a Pro Indy 2000 car.

• Finally, as I mentioned in last week’s Sustainable Motorsport Round-Up, the electric ERA Championship has announced their 2022 schedule and they will be supporting the ETCR for their first season.

That’s it for Motorsport Series news this week. Tomorrow is the regular sim racing round-up as well as some amazing new cars available in the Motorsport Prospects Marketplace that you can own. Stay safe and see you at the track!